Flying Scotsman the Steam Engine
Flying Scotsman, an LNER Class A3 4-6-2, is the last of Gordon's brothers. He holds the records for being the first engine to officially run at 100 mph in 1934, and having the longest non-stop run for a steam engine, which was 442 miles/711 kilometres non-stop while in Australia in 1989. History Flying Scotsman was completed in 1923, construction having been started under the auspices of the Great Northern Railway. He was built as an A1, initially carrying the number 1472. Flying Scotsman was something of a flagship locomotive for the LNER. He represented the company at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1924 and 1925. At this time he acquired his name and the new number of 4472. From then on he was commonly used for promotional purposes. With a suitably modified valve gear, he was one of five Gresley Pacifics selected to haul the prestigious non-stop Flying Scotsman train service from London to Edinburgh, hauling the inaugural train on May 1, 1928. For this, the locomotives ran with a new version of the large eight-wheel tender which held nine tons of coal. This and the usual facility for water replenishment from the water trough system enabled them to travel the 631 kilometres from London to Edinburgh in eight hours non-stop. The tender included a corridor connection and tunnel through the water tank giving access to the locomotive cab from the train in order to allow replacement of the driver and fireman without stopping the train. The following year he appeared in the film "The Flying Scotsman". On November 30, 1934, running a light test train, he became the first steam locomotive to be officially recorded at 100 mph and earned a place in the land speed record for railed vehicles; the publicity-conscious LNER made much of the fact. On August 22, 1928, there appeared an improved version of this Pacific type classified A3; older A1 locomotives were later rebuilt to conform. On April 25, 1945, A1 class locomotives not yet rebuilt were reclassified A10 in order to make way for newer Thompson and Peppercorn Pacifics. This included Flying Scotsman, which emerged from Doncaster works on January 4, 1947 as an A3 having received a boiler with a long "banjo" dome of the type it carries today. By this time he had become renumbered as 103 in Edward Thompson's comprehensive renumbering scheme for the LNER, then 60103 from January 1, 1948 on the nationalisation of the railways when all the LNER locomotive numbers were prefixed with 60000. Between June 5, 1950 to July 4, 1954, and December 26, 1954 to September 1, 1957, under British Railways ownership, he was allocated to Leicester Central Shed on the Great Central, running Nottingham Victoria to London Marylebone services via Leicester Central, and hauled one of the last services on that line before its closure. All A3 Pacifics were subsequently fitted with a double Kylchap chimney to improve performance and economy. This caused soft exhaust and smoke drift that tended to obscure the driver's forward vision; the remedy was found in the German-type smoke deflectors fitted from 1960, which somewhat changed his appearance but successfully solved the problem. Bio in the Railway Series In the book Enterprising Engines, Flying Scotsman came to Sodor to cheer up his only surviving brother, Gordon. He had two tenders at the time he arrived, causing Henry to feel jealous. During his visit, he got on well with most of the Fat Controller's Engines and took charge of "the Limited" in place of 7101 when Henry rescued both him and 199 as both diesels failed. After his visit, Flying Scotsman left with his enthusiasts when the Fat Controller announced that steam engines will still be at work on the North Western Railway. Gordon later said that Flying Scotsman told him about the Silver Jubilee. Bio in the Television Series In the third season episode Tender Engines, Flying Scotsman's two tenders appeared sticking out of a shed. Both of his tenders had a coal bunker, which is inaccurate: Flying Scotsman's rear tender only carried water. These tenders also lacked the corridors Flying Scotsman has carried all throughout preservation. He was intended to have a larger role, however, the modelling crew could not afford to build the entire engine. He was never mentioned by name. However, he is set to appear in the special, The Great Race. Bio in the Magazines After Donald and Douglas told Harold about Flying Scotsman, Harold was confused and thought the twins were talking about a Scotsman who could fly. Thomas explained that the twins were actually talking about an engine. LiveryEdit In the Railway Series and television series, Flying Scotsman appeared painted in LNER green with black and yellow lining with LNER painted in yellow on his tender side. Choice of livery is a subject of controversy amongst those involved in the preservation of historic rolling stock, and Flying Scotsman has attracted more than his fair share, the result of forty years' continuous service during which he has undergone several changes to his livery. Alan Pegler's option was evidently to return him as far as possible to the general appearance and distinctive livery he carried at the height of his fame. A later option was to reinstall the double Kylchap chimney and German smoke deflectors that he carried at the end of his career in the 1960s; this encouraged more complete combustion, a factor in dealing with smoke pollution and fires caused by spark throwing. More recently, until his current overhaul, he was running in an anachronistic hybrid form retaining the modernised exhaust arrangements while carrying the LNER "Apple Green" livery of the 1930s. Some believe that the more famous LNER colour scheme should remain; others take the view that, to be authentic, only BR "Brunswick Green" livery should be used when he is carrying these later additions – the issue is further complicated by the fact that while in BR "Brunswick Green" livery he never ran with the corridor tender. Other liveries that Flying Scotsman has had are the "Wartime Black" livery and the British Railways "Express Passenger Lined Blue" livery. For a public relaunch in May 2011, the National Railway Museum repainted him in unlined "Wartime Black", posing as sister-engine number 502 "Plain Jane". Following his return to steam, Flying Scotsman remained in "Wartime Black" for his first month of service in 2016, and was repainted into BR "Brunswick Green" livery in February that same year. Appearances Railway Series *Enterprising Engines *James and the Diesel Engines (mentioned) *Thomas and the Great Railway Show (mentioned) *Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines (mentioned) Television Series *Season 3 - Tender Engines (not named; tenders and part of cab only; does not speak) Specials: *The Great Race Trivia *Flying Scotsman received smoke deflectors, a double chimney, and his number on both his cab and second tender in CGI, a combination he never had in real-life. Quotes (Coming Soon!) Gallery (Coming Soon!) Category:Thomas The Tank Engine Heroes Category:TV Show Heroes Category:Live Action Heroes Category:Book Heroes Category:Male Heroes Category:Anthropomorphic Characters Category:Vehicular Heroes Category:Articles under construction Category:Siblings Category:Speedsters Category:Fictionalized versions of true events Category:Rivals Category:Legendary Heroes